'Man's best friend is once again a lifesaver': Missing hunter rescued after search in Carbon County

Training, teamwork, dedication, and “the wonderful nose of a dog” led to the recovery of a missing hunter Monday in Carbon County, authorities said.

The incident took place near Old State Road and Meckesville Road in Penn Forest Township, social media posts said. State Game Lands in the area consist of 3,702 acres located in both Carbon and Monroe counties with a terrain that is rolling and forested, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

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Northeast Search and Rescue, Strike K9 Search and Rescue, the Penn Forest Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 2, Pennsylvania State Police at Fern Ridge, and WolfPack Search and Recovery assisted in finding the hunter injured, but alive, according to Facebook posts by those groups. Firefighters from Carbon and Monroe counties also assisted, along with Lehighton ambulance services.

The hunter, who wasn’t named in the posts, was “extricated” from the woods following a two-hour search, the post by the Penn Forest Township fire department said.

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The post made by the Northeast Search and Rescue said, “Man's best friend is once again a lifesaver … in rain and 38 degree weather, a team of fire fighters and our trailing K9 Azlyn, handled by Heather Morris, were able to locate and bring to safety the lost and injured subject. Training, teamwork and dedication, plus the wonderful nose of a dog, resulted in an early holiday gift for us all.”

The 2018 rifle deer hunting season got off to a slow start Monday, with heavy rains and fog causing many hunters across the region to cut short their day, The Danville News reported.

"Visibility was poor and it was foggy on some of our mountains," said Daniel Figured, northeast regional director, Pennsylvania Game Commission. "Hunters rely on eyesight and hearing. With the wet conditions we had, deer are silent,” he told the paper.

There is no word yet if weather conditions played a factor in the injuries sustained by the hunter, or if conditions hindered the search and rescue efforts. State police have not commented on the incident.